Petyr and the rest of the resistance had formed a base near Lucky’s Lake. After he’d left the Farming Tribe, he’d practically run all the way to the lake, the cold autumn air leaving his cheeks pink. He’d opted not to ride his coyote for fear of the Farming Tribe seeing his escape. There were people he would miss there, but he had to move on. Joining the resistance was in his blood. He could just tell that this is what he was meant to do.
Some of the more religious members had argued about referring to the base as Lucky’s Resistance, while others insisted on Dead Horse Resistance, since the base was near the Dead Horse Bay part of Lucky’s Lake.
“Well, say, that Lucky is a creature of God. I don’t want to piss ‘im off by not showing ‘im his deserved respect.”
Rolling his eyes, Petyr continued packing his bag and shoveling in as much food as he can before they left.
Today, they were going to the Fertility Tribe territory. Petyr’s childhood living at the Fertility Tribe, gave him the perfect inside knowledge about how to enter their territory. He’d used this knowledge to gain access to the resistance. He’d convinced the other members that he could be useful by revealing his first-hand knowledge.
***
A day later, they arrived at the Fertility Tribe, under the cloak of night. Petyr directed the group to one of the many entrances, and then they were inside.
He tugged at his bat, a fanny-pack like electrical supply strapped to his waist. It was currently powering his salvage kit, which the group was using to hide their presence from those in the Fertility Tribe. The kits were dark and heavy. They hoped that they would help them blend in, but their heaviness was making moving hard without growing too tired. Petyr wanted to yell at the person who suggested they wear these contraptions.
“Whoever suggested these pieces of crap is a fucking—“
“Shut up,” Petyr hissed. He was relieved that someone else felt the same way, but now was not the time to talk about it. They needed to be as quiet as possible. Otherwise, they’d be caught, and probably executed.
“Oh fuck,” Petyr heard someone mutter to his left. He turned his head and saw the woman next to him cursing even more under her breath. He followed her gaze and saw, just a few dozen feet ahead of them, a young girl. She couldn’t have been older than ten. It made Petyr’s heart sink to think about how she was just about at the age when she’d either be prepped for childbirth or she would be shipped off to some place she’d never been to before. It made his blood boil, and reminded him why the Fertility Tribe needed to be stopped.
“What do we do?” the woman asked.
Petyr stepped forward; putting his hands out, hoping the little girl would see him as a non-threat.
“Hey,” he said kindly. The little girl smiled at him, but looked at the other resistance members behind him cautiously. Petyr waved his hands to get her attention. “Don’t worry about them. We’re the good guys.”
She tiled her head. “What do you mean?”
“We’re here to help. I don’t know how much you know…” Petyr knew he’d have to get her to join the resistance or they’d have to get rid of her. They couldn’t have her go blabbing to someone else about the scary people in all black. “The Fertility Tribe isn’t a good place. We want to get you out—“
She gasped and ran towards him. “You’re from the outside. Do you know my sister? My twin sister, Maisy! They took her. They said she wasn’t…”
“They took your twin away?” Petyr asked horrified.
“Yes. Have you seen her?”
He shook his head sadly. “No, I’m sorry. But we can take you to her.”
There was a collective gasp from the other resistance members behind him, but he ignored them. They were here for a reason, and that was to help as many people as they could. At least, that’s why Petyr was there. Any resistance member who didn’t have that purpose was a glory-hungry fool who were only in the resistance for selfish reasons.
The little girl looked thrilled. “Really?” There was an edge of caution to her tone.
“Yes. I promise.”
She reached out and grabbed Petyr’s hand. He squeezed it tightly, and turned to see the other members looking conflicted.
“What do we do?” one asked.
“I’m leaving with…” He looked to the little girl and she smiled.
“I’m Madeline.”
“Alright, well, I’m leaving with Madeline,” Petyr informed the group. “We’re going to find her sister.”
One of the men huffed loudly. “What about the mission?”
Petyr could sympathize with their concern, but for the moment he didn't care. “I know that this isn’t exactly what we came here to do, but we need to help people. And Madeline needs our help.”
Some of the more religious members had argued about referring to the base as Lucky’s Resistance, while others insisted on Dead Horse Resistance, since the base was near the Dead Horse Bay part of Lucky’s Lake.
“Well, say, that Lucky is a creature of God. I don’t want to piss ‘im off by not showing ‘im his deserved respect.”
Rolling his eyes, Petyr continued packing his bag and shoveling in as much food as he can before they left.
Today, they were going to the Fertility Tribe territory. Petyr’s childhood living at the Fertility Tribe, gave him the perfect inside knowledge about how to enter their territory. He’d used this knowledge to gain access to the resistance. He’d convinced the other members that he could be useful by revealing his first-hand knowledge.
***
A day later, they arrived at the Fertility Tribe, under the cloak of night. Petyr directed the group to one of the many entrances, and then they were inside.
He tugged at his bat, a fanny-pack like electrical supply strapped to his waist. It was currently powering his salvage kit, which the group was using to hide their presence from those in the Fertility Tribe. The kits were dark and heavy. They hoped that they would help them blend in, but their heaviness was making moving hard without growing too tired. Petyr wanted to yell at the person who suggested they wear these contraptions.
“Whoever suggested these pieces of crap is a fucking—“
“Shut up,” Petyr hissed. He was relieved that someone else felt the same way, but now was not the time to talk about it. They needed to be as quiet as possible. Otherwise, they’d be caught, and probably executed.
“Oh fuck,” Petyr heard someone mutter to his left. He turned his head and saw the woman next to him cursing even more under her breath. He followed her gaze and saw, just a few dozen feet ahead of them, a young girl. She couldn’t have been older than ten. It made Petyr’s heart sink to think about how she was just about at the age when she’d either be prepped for childbirth or she would be shipped off to some place she’d never been to before. It made his blood boil, and reminded him why the Fertility Tribe needed to be stopped.
“What do we do?” the woman asked.
Petyr stepped forward; putting his hands out, hoping the little girl would see him as a non-threat.
“Hey,” he said kindly. The little girl smiled at him, but looked at the other resistance members behind him cautiously. Petyr waved his hands to get her attention. “Don’t worry about them. We’re the good guys.”
She tiled her head. “What do you mean?”
“We’re here to help. I don’t know how much you know…” Petyr knew he’d have to get her to join the resistance or they’d have to get rid of her. They couldn’t have her go blabbing to someone else about the scary people in all black. “The Fertility Tribe isn’t a good place. We want to get you out—“
She gasped and ran towards him. “You’re from the outside. Do you know my sister? My twin sister, Maisy! They took her. They said she wasn’t…”
“They took your twin away?” Petyr asked horrified.
“Yes. Have you seen her?”
He shook his head sadly. “No, I’m sorry. But we can take you to her.”
There was a collective gasp from the other resistance members behind him, but he ignored them. They were here for a reason, and that was to help as many people as they could. At least, that’s why Petyr was there. Any resistance member who didn’t have that purpose was a glory-hungry fool who were only in the resistance for selfish reasons.
The little girl looked thrilled. “Really?” There was an edge of caution to her tone.
“Yes. I promise.”
She reached out and grabbed Petyr’s hand. He squeezed it tightly, and turned to see the other members looking conflicted.
“What do we do?” one asked.
“I’m leaving with…” He looked to the little girl and she smiled.
“I’m Madeline.”
“Alright, well, I’m leaving with Madeline,” Petyr informed the group. “We’re going to find her sister.”
One of the men huffed loudly. “What about the mission?”
Petyr could sympathize with their concern, but for the moment he didn't care. “I know that this isn’t exactly what we came here to do, but we need to help people. And Madeline needs our help.”